Slander
by Lycan Queen
Summary: Lady Lily will have you know it was not slander in anyway. Just a little gossip, a little chat about the king's wife to a friendly stranger, and when did a bit of gossip ever hurt anyone, really!


I own nothing, except for my OC. OCs in this case.

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Lady Lily grew bored of politics very easily. She was young and wanted to gossip with fellow maidens her age. Being the daughter of an ambassador allowed her to travel to many foreign places and every where she went she was pleased to see that young girls were the same everywhere.

This time her father's travels had lead her to the land of Narnia, where her country's royals and nobles gathered to sign a declaration of peace with the famed royals and nobles of Narnia. The welcome ceremony was grand, as usual. It was during the days afterward that she had met her new friend for this new trip. Her name was Zaira and she was the court physician.

Walking through the courtyards of Cair Paravel Zaira was recognizable even from afar. She was chattering animatedly to another girl within Lily's age range. At last, someone to speak to!

"Zaira!" Lily called, lifting her skirts and scurrying her way toward the physician, desperate for a friend to gossip with.

"Why, hello Lily." The physician smiled at the sight of her. Zaira was a sweet girl.

"I've just managed to escape one of my father's lectures."

"I'm sure you have." Zaira chuckled. "Lily this is my cousin."

"Hello." Lily nodded toward Zaira's cousin. They both had the same glowing gold colored eyes. She must have been a shape shifter as well; Lily briefly wondered what the beast inside her was before forgetting completely. "I'm so glad to have found you. I've been bored to my wits ends with all this talk of peace treaties."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Zaira frowned, "I was just about to leave. I'm on my way to the infirmary. You wouldn't mind if I left you with my cousin for entertainment, would you?"

"Of course not! I'm sure we'll be good friends by the end of the day." Zaira parted ways and left the two of them alone. Lily and Zaira's cousin strolled on causally; it was the cousin that sparked conversation interestingly enough.

"So what was it your father was lecturing you about?" The shape shifter inquired curiously.

"Oh marriage," Lily sighed off handedly.

"Marriage?" The gold eyed maiden's brunette brow rose.

"Yes, marriage. But I simply _refuse_ to go after a man that already has a wife!"

"What do you mean?" The shape shifter's face morphed from one of vague curiosity to one of concerned.

"Oh you didn't hear?" Lily gaped. How could a lady of Narnia not know! At least judging by the beautiful gown the cousin wore Lily assumed that the new found acquaintance was a Lady. Nevertheless one did not need to have an ounce of noble blood to lend ears to the grape vine, especially when it came to young women and marriage. The cousin shook her head. Lily grinned and leaned in and began talking excitedly in hushed tones. "Why is it did you think that nearly every noble from Parlia decided to bring all their daughters?"

"I did not even notice." The brunette mused. "And what do you mean by a man that is already married?"

"Well, you see most of the noblemen are looking to marry off their daughters to High King Peter!" Lily giggled at the cousin's dropped jaw. "Exactly!"

"Do you think he's aware of it?"

"I heard Sir Baron has already tried his hand at the matrimony game. How positively brash!"

"But why would people do as such? When the High King is already married?" Lily grinned mischievously and leaned even closer to the shape shifter, giggling darkly.

"Well, as you know His Majesty and his wife have been married for some time now and she has yet born any children whatsoever. The whisper in the halls is that she is sterile!"

"Sterile?" The shape shifter looked aghast.

"Completely barren!" Lily didn't even notice how insensitive she was being at the moment. "Can you imagine having such a life? Being a woman that cannot have children!"

"But you can't really blame her…" Lily admired the patriotic attempt the Narnian gave to defend her king's wife, but the thought slipped Lily's mind as quickly as it appeared.

"Of course not! It's no woman's fault! But I am so glad not to be in Lady Vyra's position right about now," Lily lowered her tone of voice as a pair of fawns passed them by.

"Why is that?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if His Majesty did annul his marriage!"

"What makes you say that?" Lily's face took on a deadpan expression.

"You've met one king, you've met them all and all kings want heirs." Lily rolled her eyes and began picking at her nails. The two were silent for a full minute but this didn't seem to phase the Parlian maiden one bit. Only after the Narnian maiden collected herself did Lily speak again, beginning with a completely different subject. One could easily pick up on Lily's easily entertained and scatter brained personality from first glance. "I'm sorry; I never did catch your name! How rude of me! What was it?"

"Oh my name i—" The brunette never did get to finish her statement.

"There you are!" A new voice practically shrieked. Lily and company turned to find a ginger haired woman in a teal dress march her way towards them down the corridor. "I have been looking everywhere for you!"

"I beg your pardon?" Lily asked but was ignored; learning quickly that the ginger maiden was addressing her companion. At first the girl looked human but as soon as she came within reach Lily saw the glowing golden eyes, a shape shifter. Perhaps another cousin?

"You have?" The brunette said earnestly.

"Yes I have!" The ginger was obviously very easily flustered. "King Peter has been asking for your presence and may I remind you in this time of peace treaties and politics as ambassador I do not have the time to go hunting for you through half of a castle!"

"I am sorry for the inconvenience Nanthra, where can I find him?" The brunette seemed almost tactful whence responding to the ginger, as if she was well experienced with the ginger's delicately ruffled feathers.

"In the throne room, he's addressing court with the general of Parlia."

"I'll be on my way then, goodbye Lady Lily."

"Goodbye and just Lily is fine." The brunette nodded at Lily's comment and hurried away. Lily turned her attention towards the ginger.

"Are you by any chance cousins with Zaira, the physician?"

"Why, yes I am." The ginger smiled fondly.

"Oh so that means you are also cousins with… I'm sorry I never did learn her name, what is it?"

"Vyra and yes, we are cousins." Lady Lily had stopped listening. Her eyes grew as round and wide as saucers.

"Do you mean to tell me that the young woman that just departed, whom I was speaking to, was the general, _Lady Vyra_? Herself?"

"Of course, who did you think it was?" Lily did not answer. "Are you all right? Would you like to visit Zaira in the infirmary? Your face has gone all red."


End file.
